The start of my first year with Swift.

LOL...

Sorry folks. I've been running my butt off and dealing with a few other issues I'm not willing to post about.

I'm sitting in a rest area outside of Phoenix, AZ. Hotter then the seventh ring of hell here.

I agreed to take a load to Phoenix as long as I could get back to Fontana. I had a few days off planned to spend with some family. It all started out well enough and traffic was less then expected going to Buena Park to get the load. I made good time to Phoenix and was able to drop the load quickly. That is where my luck started to turn.

There were no empty trailers and I was running out of time. I sent in a msg and it took 30 minutes to get an answer. I was sent to the terminal for an empty. I get there and the "Sweet" lady the the window said there were none and I would just have to wait. There were drivers waiting ahead of me. I explained that I was running out of time and needed to burn some miles off before morning or the load would have to be re powered. She then started giving me grief about what the planner had done. I turned and walked away with here still yapping as I went.

I ran my truck through the wash a couple of times and parked. I sent msgs off and go no response. I called Lewiston and Phoenix only to be put on "ignore". Finally I called a number I keep back for emergencies and someone in Phoenix answered. I explained my situation and he said he would see what he could do. I'm not burning up my drive hours.

About an hour later I get a msg to hook to a specific trailer and roll to the shipper. I hooked up but found there was a lock on the airline. I waited and finally someone came by to unlock it. I guess Swift just keeps empty trailers in the terminal to make it seem like they are full...I don't know.

I get to the shipper and I have less than 3 hours left on my 14. There is no one at the gate. There is a truck waiting to get out, one in front of me and two behind me. One guy had been waiting for an hour. After 30 minutes someone shows up and we start to move. I drop my trailer and find my load. The paperwork is wrong but the seal is correct. I hook and head to the gate. It took a little bit to figure out I had the right trailer and off I go. I'm now down to less then 2 hours and still have to get fuel.

The fuel lanes were packed and I had to sit and wait. I finally got fuel and was able to head out. I now had just over an hour left. I made it to a rest area and here I sit. Waiting for my reset to complete to see if I get anymore time back. It's going to be a very tight driving day and then I'll take off a few.

Thanks for all the support. I'm not trying stop the thread. Sometimes life gets in the way.

 

I think there's ten!!

My day didn't get any better today. Wife called and the well pump is broken.

I made it to my delivery on time. Planner told me and my dispatch says it's a drop. NO. There have never been drops there. One small dock and it's a live unload. I'm running out of time. I ask how long it will take and am told 30 to 45 minutes...IF they can find they guy who unloads them. They called and can't get ahold of him. I call my DM tell him that I agreed to take a drop load and based that on how much time I had left. He will have to repower me at the dock and send someone to drive my truck back as I have a hotel already paid for tonight. He told me to take the load to Fontana. I talked to the nice guy at the window. Explained what was going on and he said ok, no big deal. "You tried to make the delivery and couldn't."


Do you ever have those days where you just want to choke someone?